2. There is a pine tree that may be too close to Jamal's house. He can't physically measure the tree, but he thinks it may hit his house someday. He is 6 feet tall and has a shadow that is 4 feet. At the same time of day, the tree casts a shadow that is 28 feet. a. Draw and label a picture to represent this scenario. Using the measurements, determine the height of the tree. b. If the base of the tree is 80 feet from the house, will it hit the house if it falls? Justify your answer.
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The Deep Dive
Using similar triangles is a fantastic way to tackle this! Since Jamal's height and shadow can be used as a reference, we can set up a ratio between them and the tree's unknown height. If Jamal is 6 feet tall and his shadow is 4 feet, we can say: Height/Shadow = 6/4 = 1.5. Now applying this to the tree, we know it casts a 28-foot shadow. Therefore, we can set up the equation: Height (tree) / 28 feet = 6 feet / 4 feet. Cross-multiplying, we find that the height of the tree is 42 feet! As for whether it will hit the house, let's visualize this! If the base of the tree is 80 feet from Jamal's house and the tree's height is 42 feet, when it falls, it'll hit at most the length of its height towards the house. Since the height of the tree (42 feet) is significantly less than the 80 feet distance from the house, it won't reach the house if it falls. Phew! Looks like Jamal's home is safe from this pine tree!